Terry's (and group)blog about travelling within Australia and Internationally.

Wednesday, 27 April 2011

Italia!!!!

Saluto,

My fellow readers and travellers alike, today I wish to explore the wonders of Italy with you. Im not gonna give you population facts and demographics, you want that information, get your dicovery on with the Discovery Atlas: Italy movie, very interesting I must say. These are the facts as experienced by yours truly. Italy is a true gem that can only be descibed by one word, passione. Thats passion for my non italian speakers out there, the people of Italy live and breath passion, from driving to sport to interaction with one another, its all in the hand gestures and tone and even body language. On my travels throuh Italy I wound up in Pisa, the famous city of the leaning tower where you can take a picture of you holding the building up. I was with the family at the time and I went into a ticket booth to purchase a ticket to go up the leaning Tower of Pisaa, this lady and man beind the booth were engaged in argument and it got so heated that she straight up shut the booth down, no more tickets for you. I was taken back by this, the line was 20 deep with people and she just said im taking 5 and you get your tickets when you get them. That in itself could describe Italy but no, im not done.

Folow me no my readers to Roma, the largest and most famous ciyt in Italia, where Ceasar himself once dwelled and the Pope resides in the Vatican. Roma, a city of history and culture that is unrivalled, where else can you stay in a nie hotel across the street from the Colloseum. Roma is one of my favorite cities in the world and for many different reasons. Obviously the history is big for me, getting to see the Vatican and St Peter Basilica ( the worlds largest church) will stay with me forever. The thing I found most fascinating was the traffic and how romans drive, this is a city where traffic is always there and lights mean jack. Its about space, you see a gap, you go for it, red lights are just a place where people ield to cross a busy street, not stop. As a pedestrian in this great city I found this a bit unsettling for the first couple hours I was there, but when in Rome, you adapt to what everyone else does and so we did. Now readers consider this piece of advice as it could save you one day, when you cross the street in Rome, you dont worry about the cars, you look straight ahead, walk normally and dont worry about the cars going around you, they dont stop for you, they will just drive around you so just maintain walking speed and course and all will be fine.

I was sitting on the steps of the Piazza Venezia and I witnessed a man pull up in his car, take his girlfriend out of the car and place on the steps an walked to the middle of one of the busiest streets in Rome, take a picture, put his girlfriend back in the car and drive off, all while signalling an oncoming bus to slow down for him. I watched it all happen and even got a picture of it (unfortunatley its not a digital photo). I've travelled to a few places and seen a few things but never something quite like that, truly unique and only in Rome!

I hope this finds you my fellow citizens and I hope you get to enjoy the wonders that Italy has to offer, Its a great country with great people, great food, and great atmosphere. Live well and travel better.